Plevris on Crete murder: “Maybe forgiveness is the best way to honor our loved ones”

Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris referenced the murder of a 21-year-old in Crete through a social media post, connecting this tragic incident with the loss of his mother in a car accident 6 years ago.

Plevris on 21-year-old’s murder in Crete: “Maybe forgiveness is the best way to honor our loved ones?”

Thanos Plevris declares himself shocked, recounting in his post the tragic loss of his mother and stating among other things: “I have been shocked by the case in Crete where a father murdered his son’s friend, who died in a car accident, because he was responsible for the accident that caused the death […] No pain justifies murdering someone who is responsible for a fatal car accident.”

Moreover, referring to his family’s case, Thanos Plevris mentioned that his mother asked him not to pursue legal action against the driver who hit her, as “he had seemed like a good person to her.” He concludes in his post: “Maybe forgiving the perpetrator is the best way to honor and remember the memory of our loved ones?”

Thanos Plevris’s complete post:

“6 years ago around this time I lost my mother in a car accident. She had gone out for a walk and by mistake a man ran a stop sign and hit her. His behavior was humane and he showed concern for my mother’s health progress, who eventually died in the hospital after about a month, having forgiven the man who hit her, as she recognized that he behaved properly after his action, he had seemed like a good person to her and she asked me not to prosecute him. This man was punished, as these offenses are prosecuted automatically, but my sister and I chose to appear only as witnesses in the trial and not as parties, respecting our mother’s wish and appreciating the man’s behavior and concern.

A person who causes a car accident, because he showed negligence in his behavior, is not a murderer. Unfortunately, accidents happen and certainly the person who will cause an accident and is responsible for someone’s death will always carry a burden. Obviously, he should be punished proportionally for his action. The law even has gradation from misdemeanors with moderate penalties, if the negligence is minor, but also serious crimes with multi-year sentences or even life imprisonment if the perpetrator’s behavior has intensely antisocial characteristics (e.g., driving drunk).

I have been shocked by the case in Crete where a father murdered his son’s friend, who died in a car accident, because he was responsible for the accident that caused the death. I don’t know the exact circumstances of the accident, but even if the 21-year-old had shown serious negligence and bears enormous responsibility, he would have been punished for what he did, according to the severity of his behavior. However, no pain justifies murdering someone who is responsible for a fatal car accident. Unfortunately, there are still societies that cultivate and justify such behaviors as a kind of moral order and rules.

Those of us who have lost people in car accidents have pain and grief. However, the people who caused the accidents didn’t wake up one morning and say let’s go kill a person. They erred, they must pay for their actions, but for what they did – the negligence they showed – and not for what we as victims possibly want them to be punished for.

In some cases where the perpetrator doesn’t have antisocial characteristics and anyone could find themselves in his position (e.g., we all might run a stop sign, make a wrong maneuver, lose our attention and cause an accident) maybe forgiving the perpetrator is the best way to honor and remember the memory of our loved ones?”